edited chapter

Chapter 56: Somebody to Lean On

{D. K}

         "Please explain to me why you're in my house."

         Stefan looked awkward standing on her front porch, dressed in all black and face cloaked in pain. His green eyes were filled with pain, a hurt that throbbed deep in his chest and squeezed his heart so tightly that it felt as if he could barely breath. "Elena can't stay at her place since Jeremy wants to kill her, so she's at my house with Damon."

         "That doesn't explain why you came to me."

         He sighed, crossing his arms over his chest. "I had no where else to go, and I wanted to talk and you were the first person who came to my mind who reminds me the least of my past with Elena."

         Dakota watched him from where she stood, staying completely silent for a few beats. "Fine, pick a room, you can stay for as long as you need. If you need clothes, I have some that Shawn used to wear."

         "I thought your brother hated you."

         She glanced at him as he picked a room, she was a few doors down to retrieve clothes from her brothers old room that he lived in as a child. "That doesn't mean I hate him."

         Dakota disappeared into the room, and Stefan followed silently, lingering behind in the doorway. "Elena's sired to Damon. I was talking to Car—"

         "—do not mention that name in my house."

         Her tone was hostile, but Stefan wasn't offended, instead he simply continued his sentence and rearranged his words to accommodate her request. "I was talking to a friend and we've picked up on Elena's weird behavior around Damon. She does whatever he says, like she's his little puppet."

         "Like how?"

         "I've been working with Elena for weeks to help her with the bloodlust, we went hunting, and she could drink animal blood and be just fine but then she would throw it all up. Vampires can handle blood, it doesn't matter where it's from, there has never been a case of a vampire not being able to drink a certain type of blood, until Damon told Elena that she would never be able to drink it. There's no way that can just be a coincidence."

         Dakota turned, a hefty amount of clothes in her hand. "You're not mad that she's sired," She picked out from his words, listening to his tone and how he spoke to her. "You're mad that it's with Damon. You and him have been battling over the same girl for decades."

         "Katherine and Elena are nothing alike."

         Stefan took the clothes Dakota provided he soft lingering scent of detergent fresh on a few of the tops. "So you and your brother say, but didn't Katherine cause you both to split apart too?" He remained quiet. "Goodnight Stefan."

•

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          "Where you headed too, Broody?"

          Stefan was dressed in Shawn's clothes, the fit nearly perfect give or take the added tightness in the butt of the jeans. His hair was styled perfectly with his signature brood etched on his impressive features that both of the Salvatore's inherited. "I have to talk to Damon about the sire bond."

         "I'll come with. I like sire bonds."

         "Why's that?"

         Dakota downed a cup of blood, placing the empty glass in the sink after pouring some water in it so it didn't dry up, making it harder to wash in the future. "I like being in control."

         Stefan rolled his eyes, taking out the keys to his car. The car ride was surprisingly comfortable and the two found themselves divulging into conversations that had them both laughing in ways they hadn't expected since their break-ups. But the laughter in Stefan stopped when they pulled up to his home. He took his time to get inside, finding his brother in the living room where they were both greeted to the scent of burning wood. "What are you doing?"

         In the living room sat Damon on the floor, surfing through piles of notebooks and papers. "Elena's sired. You were right, I was wrong."

         "What are we doing to do about it?"

         Damon sipped a glass of bourbon while he shuffled around piles of worn out paper. "I'm working on it." He picked up to a tarot card, passing it to Stefan. "Remember that?"

          "New Orleans?"

          "Nineteen forty-two to be exact."

          Stefan sat down while Dakota got on her knees and sifted through papers with Damon. "What was in New Orleans in nineteen forty-two?"

          "Other than bourbon and beads." Dakota spoke up.

          "Us, Stefan."

          The younger Salvatore's face showed recognition. "What's the name of that girl you used to hang out with?"

          Damon laughed under his breath. "That was no ordinary girl. That was Charlotte. She was crazy about me from the minute we met. So, obviously, when she asked me to turn her into a vampire, I did. But one night, we were out at the bar, I left her for a second and told her if anyone touched my drink, show no mercy. Next thing I knew, my bourbon was spilled and Charlotte snapped his neck. When I asked her what she was doing, she thought it would make me happy." Damon swished his alcohol. "That was my first clue."

           "She was sired to you," Stefan stated. "—and I can only assume you took full advantage of that until you got bored of her, right?"

           "More like when she went all "fatal attraction" on me. Than I knew I had to make a clean break."

           "Always the gentleman." Dakota joked. Stefan, however didn't find it funny.

           "How'd you do that?"

           "Valerie La Marsh. That was the witch that helped me break Charlottes little sire bond." Damon rose from his seat. "Pack your bags baby bro. We're going to bourbon street."

            Dakota looked between both brothers, Stefan was retreating to his bedroom while Damon was gathering the books and papers he'd taken out, ready to put them away. "What about me?"

            "You're good with witches, so obviously you're coming too."